U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,188, whose contents are hereby incorporated by reference, describes an electrosurgical apparatus for dental use, and in particular describes one form of electrical circuit for generating radio-frequency (RF) currents with different waveform shapes to optimize tissue cutting, hemostasis, or both. A similar apparatus is employed in the medical and veterinarian fields. Different forms of the apparatus are available commercially from a number of suppliers.
In a typical commercial machine, a socket is provided connected to the RF generator on the machine front panel to receive an electrical plug connected at one end of an insulated wire, at the opposite end of which is provided a handpiece to be held by the dentist, veterinarian or physician. The handpiece is configured to receive a removable working electrode by which the RF currents can be applied to the patients' soft tissue for cutting or hemostasis. Typical electrodes commonly in use include needle shapes, wire circular or diamond loop shapes, ball shapes or blade shapes. In addition, a pair of electrodes can be formed as forceps for use in coaptation and pinpoint hemostasis. These electrodes are custom designed for each machine and are thus expensive. In addition, the working end, which usually comprises exposed metal at the tip, is elsewhere enclosed in an insulating layer in order to avoid any RF current leakage to the patient other than from the exposed tip. After use, the electrodes from the handpiece are sterilized for use with the next patient. Aside from the time wasted in the sterilization process, the latter reduces the usable lifetime of the electrode, thus requiring more frequent replacement, adding to the already high cost.
The trend, especially in the medical arts, is toward disposable instruments, which can be discarded after use. There already exist standard-sized disposable scalpel blades and needles which are available at low cost in sterilized packages, for use with non-electrosurgical hand instruments, but these will not fit into the available electrosurgical handpieces.
One supplier of medical electrosurgical equipment has attempted to fill this need by designing new electrosurgical equipment with a new handpiece adapted to receive disposable scalpel blades. But, the equipment is very expensive, and the disposable blades are not of the inexpensive variety, but are custom-designed with internal heating elements regulated by the equipment, the regulated high temperature assumed by the blade during use producing an alleged hemostasis of blood vessels as they are cut. Thus, the need for low-cost equipment with low-cost standard scalpel electrodes is not satisfied by this equipment. Moreover, the handpiece is not capable of receiving various shaped electrodes.
A further disadvantage of the known electrosurgical equipment is that a different handpiece and cord for use with electrocoaptation forceps must be plugged into the RF generating unit. Thus, when a dentist, veterinarian or physician alternatingly uses a scalpel blade or needle and forceps, the respective handpieces and cords must be interchangeably plugged into the unit. This increases the possibility of plugging the handpiece into the wrong jack. In the prior art, it is not possible to use the same handpiece with blades, electrodes, adaptors, and electrocoaptation forceps.